I just saw the incredibly sad and shocking news that Chandler O’Leary died suddenly a few days ago. I did not know her personally but she has been one of my favorite notebook/sketchbook artists for years. I thought for sure I had done a post about her, but I guess I never did. I know that like me, she enjoyed using pocket-size Moleskine sketchbooks and unlike me, had mastered using their paper with watercolors despite its unpredictability for that medium. She filled lots of sketchbooks on road trips around the United States, and I just loved everything about her work– her skill, her humor, and her adventurous spirit.

Here’s a few images taken from her wonderful blog Drawn the Road Again:

She had just published her latest book, and leaves behind a husband and a 4-year old child. A GoFundMe campaign has been organized for their benefit: https://www.gofundme.com/f/donate-in-memory-of-chandler-oleary

It is heart-breaking to me that the world has lost such a talented artist (and from what I’ve seen online, a lovely human being).